Garth Fagan Dance

Garth Fagan at SUNY Oswego
Garth Fagan at SUNY Oswego

Year: 2011-2012
DanceForce Member: Mary Avrakotos
Artists: Garth Fagan Dance
Community Partners: Gifford Foundation; Hannibal School District; Mexico School District; Oswego School District; SUNY Oswego Office of International Education and Programs; Tarandi Foundation
Audience: 1,980
Counties:Onondaga, Oswego

We are honored to have been able to present Garth Fagan Dance as the Company celebrated its 40th year. Garth Fagan is one of the icons of American Dance with deep history, a unique style and a company that is unmatched in artistry and rigor. In addition to presenting an extraordinary performance, members of the company participated in a unique outreach program that targets students in the City of Oswego’s Middle and High School. Students from our School of Education were trained by a curriculum developer and members of the Garth Fagan Dance Company to provide classroom workshops to prepare the secondary school students to see the lecture/demonstration by the Company. The students then returned to the classrooms following the lecture/demonstration to talk with the students about what they had seen. The classroom work was further enhanced by a curriculum “Toolbox for Dance Literacy” that was developed by Cheryl Wilkins-Mitchell, a long-time dance instructor at SUNY Oswego. The goal here was two-fold: to offer secondary students an opportunity to see dance of the highest caliber; and to impress upon future teachers the ability of the arts, and in particular dance, to ignite the imaginations of the students they will be teaching.

The engagement with Garth Fagan Dance included the following:

• 3 “Literacy in the Content Areas” classes taught by William Ferguson from Garth Fagan Dance
• 2 “Literature, Arts & Media” classes taught by Natalie Rogers-Cropper from Garth Fagan Dance
• Composition Class taught by William Ferguson
• Informance for a class designed to introduce students to the visual and performing arts taught by Natalie Rogers-Cropper
• Master Dance Class
• Dance Workshop taught to Introduction to Theatre students by Natalie Rogers-Cropper
• Lecture-Demonstration for City of Oswego School District Middle and High School students
• Public Performance
• Reception and Q&A